This is because the proper ministers of marriage are the man and the woman themselves while the priest is simply the witness to the licitness of the marriage.
(2) Their marriage is, however, technically "illicit" in the sense that it was never witnessed by the Church.
This is a technicality that can be resolved by publicly blessing the marriage before witnesses.
It would only be a problem if one of the parties was still married to another person, or if the two parties are too closely related by blood, if the man is impotent, etc.
I don't think you're correct. Generally, if a Catholic marries outside the Church without a dispensation from the bishop, the marriage is invalid due to lack of form.
Here is an article that explains it better than I can:
http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0043.html
Here is a short quote from the article:
“However, if a Catholic enters marriage outside of the Catholic Church without the necessary dispensation, then the marriage is considered invalid and is not recognized by the Church. Moreover, this action places the person in a state of mortal sin. For instance, if a Catholic marrying either another Catholic or anyone else just decides to be married in some other Church or by a Justice of the Peace, that marriage is invalid. While such a marriage may have legal standing in the eyes of the state, it has no legitimate standing in the eyes of the Church.”
sitetest
I agree and disagree with different aspects of your statement.
yes, point 1 you make is true in the sense of the holy spirit function of marriage. However, they have not made the sacrament, and a blessing doesn’t change that.
If you are a practicing Catholic in good faith, I would think the sacrament is important for you.
Just as an aside, we (my priest felt strongly about this issue) had a wedding ceremony in the Church. We did not have a wedding Mass, as that leaves the non-Catholic spouse out of half the ceremony. Which is not the best way to start a marriage.
That's a bummer for everyone who was married before the church came into existance.
My relationship with Him is personal. It would seem blasphemous to act as if another sinner can provide God's blessing.
I’m easily confused. This couple, one of whom HAD BEEN Catholic but then converted to a Protestant denomination, married in a Protestant church. This writer is saying the church doesn’t recognize that marriage?? That the marriage requires a Catholic blessing if the one partner returns to the Catholic Church and the other converts?
Yet, if, say, 2 Protestants marry in their church, and become divorced (which their church recognizes), the Catholic Church recognizes that marriage and will not allow a re-marriage of either divorcee to a Catholic within the Catholic Church? I think that’s the Church position. SO why does the church not recognize the marriage in question, assuming they were both members of the Protestant denomination in whose church they married?